vedantahttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/taxonomy/term/4782/all
enVedanta lose landmark ruling in Indiahttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18322
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<p>Amnesty has welcomed a ruling by India’s Supreme Court over a long-running battle between mining company Vedanta Resources and indigenous communities in Orissa.</p>
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<p>Amnesty International has welcomed a landmark ruling by India’s Supreme Court that appears to signal the end of a long-running battle between a subsidiary of the FTSE 100 mining company Vedanta Resources and the indigenous communities of Orissa in India.</p>
<p>The court decided that the final decision on whether Vedanta’s controversial plans for a bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri hills of Orissa will go ahead will now rest with the local indigenous communities.</p>
<p>The plans would have seen a 670-hectare bauxite mine developed on the Dongria Kondh Indigenous community’s traditional lands and habitats which they consider sacred.</p>
<p>G. Ananthapadmanabhan, Chief Executive of Amnesty International India, said: "The Dongria Kondh community, whose identity is fully dependent on these hills, has been fighting for the survival of their way of life for a decade. The mine would have resulted in violation of their rights as indigenous peoples, as well as their rights to water, food, health and work.</p>
<p>“It is a clear vindication of the protests by local communities, the findings of the extensive research carried out since 2009 by Amnesty International and the sustained campaign carried out by many organisations which exposed how the communities’ views had long been ignored.</p>
<p>“Authorities in India must now establish a clear and transparent process to ascertain the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous communities in Niyamgiri and all other contexts where their traditional lands and habitats may be affected by state or corporate projects.</p>
<p>“This decision will go a long way to empowering indigenous communities facing similar threats to their way of life from mine plans in other parts of eastern and central India. It should also act as a wake up call for Vedanta – the company has consistently failed to respect human rights in its operations at Niyamgiri, and at the associated Lanjigarh refinery, which has also blighted the lives of thousands of people.”</p>
<p>Lado Sikaka, a Dongria Kondh leader in Niyamgiri, told Amnesty International:“After a decade of protesting against the mine plans, we now have an official channel to voice our concerns that the mine plans will disrupt our sacred lands and also seriously impact our lives and livelihoods. We will now use this channel to press our decision.”</p>
<p>Kumiti Majhi, a leader of the Majhi Kondh Indigenous community in the foothills of Niyamgiri, added: “We urge the authorities to conduct this process in a free and genuine way, without intimidation by the companies concerned or the paramilitary forces stationed in Niyamgiri, and in the presence of international human rights organisations – apart from the presence of a judicial officer as stipulated by the Supreme Court ruling.”</p>
<p>Amnesty is calling for India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests to order an independent audit of the Lanjigarh refinery operated by Vedanta Aluminium, another Vedanta subsidiary, to clean up pollution, and address all outstanding human rights concerns, including the impact of pollution on the local Majhi Kondh Indigenous and Dalit communities. </p>
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EqualityLiving EconomyNews BriefAmnesty InternationalDongria Kondhindiaindigenous peopleOrissavedantaWorld NewsSun, 21 Apr 2013 13:31:44 +0000agency reporter18322 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukThousands join rally of defiance as Vedanta mine ruling postponedhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17548
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<p>A rally of defiance has taken place at the foothills of India’s Niyamgiri Hills by thousands of tribal people opposing to Vedanta’s controversial mine.</p>
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<p>A rally of defiance was held at the foothills of India’s Niyamgiri Hills yesterday (6 December), by thousands of tribal men and women, including the Dongria Kondh, who turned out to voice their unwavering opposition to Vedanta’s controversial mine.</p>
<p>A final decision by India’s Supreme Court on the future of the mine was due to be heard yesterday, but has now been delayed until January.</p>
<p>Opposition to Vedanta’s push to extract bauxite from Niyamgiri’s sacred mountains remains acute in the state of Odisha, and beyond.</p>
<p>Several thousand people are believed to have joined Thursday’s demonstration, which was held outside the British company’s bauxite refinery at Lanjigarh.</p>
<p>The demonstration was vitriolic, after the mining giant announced it had closed its refinery. Without permission to mine in the Niyamgiri Hills, it could not supply enough bauxite to feed the facility.</p>
<p>However, the Dongria Kondh tribe, who have fought a David and Goliath battle against Vedanta to protect their land, are demanding the complete dismantling of the site amidst fears it could be re-opened.</p>
<p>Prafulla Samantara, an Odisha activist told Survival International, "Its presence is harmful and dangerous. We want to send Vedanta packing."</p>
<p>The future of the Dongria Kondh remains uncertain until India’s Supreme Court has finalised a lengthy judicial process that has faced repeated delays.</p>
<p>The appeal hearing seeks to overturn an historic 2010 ruling that prevented Vedanta from building a vast mine in the hills.</p>
<p>But the tribe’s resolve to protect their land remains strong. Speaking to Survival, two tribal women said, "We won’t leave our land. We will use all our strength to make them [Vedanta] leave this place. Let us live our lives in peace."</p>
<p>Protesters in London also joined the call to end Vedanta’s long-contested bauxite project, by demonstrating outside the Indian High Commission on Thursday (6 December)</p>
<p>Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said, "Thursday’s protest in Niyamgiri shows, once again, the unyielding strength of the Dongria Kondh, who have been burdened for years by the insufferable fear of losing their land. Shutting the refinery brings them a step closer to protecting their mountain once and for all, but its closure must be permanent."</p>
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EqualityLiving EconomyNews BriefDongria KondhindiaminingOdishaSurvival Internationaltribal peoplevedantaWorld NewsFri, 07 Dec 2012 15:08:48 +0000agency reporter17548 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukIndia's Dongria Kondh tell Vedanta 'we won't leave our land'http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16990
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<p>India’s Dongria Kondh tribe has sent a strong message to Anil Agarwal, chairman of Vedanta Resources, ahead of the company's AGM in London</p>
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<p>Ahead of the AGM of Vedanta Resources in London today, (28 August) India’s Dongria Kondh tribe has sent a strong message to the company’s chairman Anil Agarwal.</p>
<p>"‘Even if Anil Agarwal himself comes here, we won’t leave our land. We will use all our strength to make them leave this place. Let us live our lives in peace", two Dongria women said to Survival International, the NGO which campaigns for the rights of tribal people.</p>
<p>The FTSE100 company is intent on mining the Dongria’s mountain for bauxite.</p>
<p>The company’s failure both to consult with the Dongria, and to get all the necessary clearances for the mine before starting works on its refinery, has damaged Vedanta financially as well as in terms of its reputation. Last week, it was announced that running its refinery without being able to mine locally has cost the company over US$540 million (£340 million).</p>
<p>In 2010 the Indian government found Vedanta guilty of "total contempt" for the law and for the rights of the Dongria Kondh. The company was denied permission to mine in the Niyamgiri Hills, the only home of this "particularly vulnerable" tribe. But an appeal in the Supreme Court could overturn this historic decision.</p>
<p>A Dongria spokesperson, Lodu Sikaka said, "If the company stops trying to take our mountain, we will stop suffering. But if they stay, we will suffer, the mountains will suffer, the earth, the forests, the water and winds will suffer. Because of this we have started getting lots of different diseases, fever, diarrhoea. Because of these illnesses, some of us have died."</p>
<p>Stephen Corry, Director of Survival said today, "Ignoring tribal rights does not pay: it devastates people’s lives, destroys companies’ reputations and – as Vedanta has found – is financially reckless. The Dongria have the right to be consulted, and to give – or withhold – their consent. If Vedanta had talked to them first and respected their fundamental attachment to their land, they would have saved themselves and the Dongria a lot of trouble."</p>
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EqualityLiving EconomyNews BriefDongriaDongria KondhindiaminingSurvival Internationaltribal peoplevedantaVedanta ResourcesWorld NewsTue, 28 Aug 2012 12:48:45 +0000agency reporter16990 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukIndian tribe stands firm as Vedanta mine appeal adjournedhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16514
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<p>One of the world’s most controversial mines is back in the spotlight after hundreds protested against renewed efforts to mine India’s Niyamgiri Hills.</p>
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<p>One of the world’s most controversial mines is back in the spotlight after hundreds protested against renewed efforts to mine India’s Niyamgiri Hills.</p>
<p>Dongria Kondh and Niyamgiri supporters held their own ‘public hearing’ in Orissa state, where they restated their resolve not to allow mining on their sacred mountain.</p>
<p>The meeting coincided with a Supreme Court appeal in Delhi, which sought to overturn a 2010 ruling preventing UK mining company Vedanta from building an open-pit bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri Hills.</p>
<p>However, the appeal was adjourned on Monday and India’s Supreme Court has yet to issue a new date for the hearing.</p>
<p>Shortly after the announcement, Indian activist Prafulla Samentra from the National Alliance of People's Movements, spoke to Survival International, the NGO which campaigns for the rights of tribal people. He said, "I hope India’s Supreme Court endorses the government’s ruling not to mine in Niyamgiri. This is in the interests of protecting natural resources and tribal peoples."</p>
<p>Miles away in the Niyamgiri Hills, two years after the Dongria Kondh historically defeated Vedanta, protesters continue to make their position clear. </p>
<p>Dongria elder Dodhi Sikaka said, ‘Those who are fighting for their rights are beaten up and put behind bars. Now all we Dongrias are together in resisting this. We are fighting for our own people, for our ancestral land, for Niyamgiri.’</p>
<p>Survival International’s Director Stephen Corry said today (9 April), "By once again postponing this decision, the Supreme Court judges have left a sword of Damocles hanging over the Dongrias’ heads. But on Sunday the Dongria held their own day of judgment - a public hearing at which they vowed to protect their sacred mountain. Whatever the court may decide far away in Delhi, in the Niyamgiri Hills the Dongrias’ decision is clear."</p>
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Living EconomyNews BriefDongria KondhindiaminingSurvival Internationaltribal peoplevedantaWorld NewsMon, 09 Apr 2012 20:13:34 +0000agency reporter16514 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukTribespeople threatened as religious festival approacheshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16327
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<p>Security forces are reported to be cracking down on the Dongria Kondh tribe as they prepare for a religious festival on India’s most contentious mountain.</p>
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<p>Security forces are reported to be cracking down on the Dongria Kondh tribe as they prepare for a religious festival this weekend at the top of India’s most contentious mountain.</p>
<p>Hundreds are determined to attend the Niyamraja ritual in the sacred Niyamgiri Hills, which are at the centre of a controversial mining project involving UK-based multinational company, Vedanta Resources.</p>
<p>During the worship, the Dongria will take an oath pledging never to leave the mountain, which faces renewed threats as companies eye its valuable resources. The Dongria have fought hard to resist such advances, but speaking out against proposed mining continues to be dangerous.</p>
<p>Survival International, the NGO which campaigns for the rights of tribal people, say they have received reports of arrests and beatings, and in the last week alone, police have shut down six meetings where food supplies were being organised for this weekend’s festival.</p>
<p>Giridhari Patra from the Niyamgiri Protection Committee said, "Intimidating and threatening the Dongria before one of their most important festivals is unforgivable. The mountain is the seat of their God and the basis of their identity. We will never give it up to Vedanta."</p>
<p>The tribe’s victory in 2010 over the mining giant, which wanted to dig an open-pit mine to reach the mountain’s aluminum ore deposits, was historic.</p>
<p>However, their way of life is once again in danger as the controversy is reconsidered by India’s highest court on 9 April this year.</p>
<p>"It’s disgraceful that the police are harassing tribespeople in the run up to this religious festival," said Survival’s Director, Stephen Corry. </p>
<p>He added, "Niyamgiri is everything to the Dongria Kondh – they must be allowed to remain there. The Dongria’s victory over Vedanta was inspiring for tribal people around the world. All eyes will be on the Supreme Court this April."</p>
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Beliefs and ValuesEqualityNews BriefDongriaindiaindigenous peoplesNiyamgiri HillsSurvival InternationalvedantaWorld NewsSat, 25 Feb 2012 15:05:04 +0000agency reporter16327 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukVedanta AGM to face shareholders' anger over human rightshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15161
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<p>Vedanta Resources will face vocal protests at its AGM today, as NGOs urge the company to give up on their notorious Niyamgiri mine in Orissa, India.</p>
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<p>FTSE100 company Vedanta Resources will face vocal protests today (27 July) from Survival International and other groups telling the company to give up on their notorious Niyamgiri mine in Orissa, India.</p>
<p>Vedanta was denied permission to mine in the Niyamgiri Hills, home of the Dongria Kondh tribe who have been vigorously protesting against the mine. Now the issue has returned to India’s Supreme Court. </p>
<p>At today’s AGM, the company will be told by protesters inside and outside the meeting to respect the stance of both the government and the Dongria Kondh and to give up on the Niyamgiri mine.</p>
<p>Actor and Survival supporter Michael Palin, who has visited the Dongria Kondh, said he was "very disappointed" that the decision to stop Vedanta's mine by India's Environment Minister is now being challenged in the courts. </p>
<p>"Vedanta needs, once and for all, to abandon this ill-conceived project and respect the rights of the Dongria Kondh people," insisted Palin. </p>
<p>Several shareholders have divested a total of over US$40 million from Vedanta in protest over the Niyamgiri mine project and other concerns over the company’s human rights and environmental record. They include the Church of England, which withdrew its shares after longstanding campaigns by Anglicans and others angry about its continued support for Vedanta.</p>
<p>Asset manager Aviva Investors has declared that it will not support key resolutions at tomorrow’s AGM due to concerns over the company’s behaviour.</p>
<p>"When shareholders are disinvesting, and expressing serious concerns about company conduct, it's time to reconsider policy," said Stephen Corry, director of Survival International.</p>
<p>He added, "Vedanta should respect the resounding ‘no’ from the Indian government and abandon the Niyamgiri mine: it might go some way to righting its appalling human rights record". </p>
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EqualityLiving EconomyPeople and PowerNews BriefDongria KondhindiaNiyamgiriOrissaSurvival InternationalvedantaWorld NewsTue, 26 Jul 2011 23:00:01 +0000staff writers15161 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukVedanta fights mining ban on Indian hill tribe’s sacred mountainhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/14057
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<p>The FTSE 100 mining giant Vedanta is challenging a ban on mining the sacred mountain of India’s Dongria Kondh tribe.</p>
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<p>The FTSE 100 mining giant Vedanta is challenging a ban on mining the sacred mountain of India’s Dongria Kondh tribe. The Orissa High Court will hear the case on Wednesday 2 February.</p>
<p>The Dongria Kondh, whose plight has been compared to the fictional Na’vi in the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, won an historic victory against Vedanta last year. India’s Environment Ministry blocked Vedanta’s multimillion-dollar bid to create an open-pit bauxite mine on the Dongria’s sacred mountain, stating that Vedanta had shown ‘blatant disregard for the rights of the tribal groups.’</p>
<p>Since the victory, both Vedanta Aluminium (a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources) and the Orissa Mining Corporation have filed petitions in Orissa challenging the decision, as well as an associated decision to restrict the growth of an alumina refinery also operated by Vedanta.</p>
<p>Speaking to Survival International, the NGO campaigning for the rights of tribal people, one Dongria Kondh man said recently, ‘We do not think that we have won. We hear that mining has been stopped but whilst the factory [refinery] is still there our people, our land, may be taken away some day.’</p>
<p>Vedanta’s billionaire chairman Anil Agarwal held separate meetings with India’s Prime Minister and the Environment Minister recently. Following their meeting, the Environment Minister told journalists, £mining is a closed chapter, but so far as the expansion project is concerned we can consider it…provided they meet some conditions."</p>
<p>In a recent interview, Mr Agarwal said, ‘I am more sensitive about our people, about our adivasi [tribal] people, than anybody else’. However two independent investigations commissioned by the Indian Environment Ministry each concluded that Vedanta’s plans were likely to "destroy" the Dongria Kondh.?</p>
<p>Demonstrations against Vedanta have continued since the Ministry’s decision, with thousands marching to the gates of Vedanta’s alumina refinery, demanding it be shut down.</p>
<p>Stephen Corry, Survival’s Director, said "The Dongria’s David and Goliath battle is not over yet, and their supporters around the world are still watching. Last year, sense and justice prevailed in Niyamgiri; let us hope that it continues to do so and Anil Agarwal finally gives up on his disastrous plan."</p>
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Living EconomyNews BriefDongria KondhindiaminingSurvival Internationaltribal peoplevedantaVedanta ResourcesWorld NewsTue, 01 Feb 2011 14:49:36 +0000agency reporter14057 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukTroubled Vedanta loses appeal for Indian refineryhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/13401
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<p>The Indian government has blocked Vedanta Resources’ plan to expand its highly controversial alumina refinery below the Niyamgiri hills in Orissa.</p>
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<p>The Indian government has blocked FTSE 100 company Vedanta Resources’ plan to expand its highly controversial alumina refinery below the Niyamgiri hills in Orissa, in the latest setback for the company.</p>
<p>India’s Environment Ministry has rejected Vedanta’s plan to expand the refinery sixfold, and demanded immediate improvements to the existing plant.</p>
<p>Survival International reports that over a hundred families lost their homes when the refinery was built, and many others lost their land and livelihood.</p>
<p>One man told Survival, “The site where the refinery is now, the sources of water were in abundance. But now the bauxite dust is mixing into the wells and the streams. We’re in great trouble, nothing is right here.”</p>
<p>The refinery was part of a massive mining project that would have seen the sacred mountain of the Dongria Kondh tribe destroyed. After years of resistance from the tribe, and a huge international campaign from organisations including Survival International and Amnesty, the Indian government axed the mine.</p>
<p>An Environmental Court has compounded this decision by revoking Vedanta’s “environmental clearance” for the mine, after members of the Dongria Kondh tribe appealed against it. The judge declared that the original clearance had not considered the “human miseries which the project is likely to inflict”.</p>
<p>An expert committee tasked with investigating Vedanta’s activities in Orissa concluded that the company had worked on the expansion of the refinery without official permission, being a “serious offence”. </p>
<p>Vedanta appealed to continue with its plan to expand the refinery regardless, but failed.</p>
<p>In a different Indian state, Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court ordered the closure of Vedanta’s notorious Tuticorin copper smelter, concluding that it was releasing pollution into the air and water with “devastating impact”. India’s Supreme Court is now examining the case.</p>
<p>“Vedanta is learning the hard way that it cannot ride roughshod over tribal people's forever,” said Stephen Corry, Director of Survival International, “Other companies should learn from Vedanta’s mistakes: before investing time and money in a project, a company must gain the consent of local tribal communities”. </p>
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Living EconomyPeace and NonviolencePeople and PowerNews BriefAmnesty InternationalDongria KondhindiaOrissaSurvival InternationalvedantaWorld NewsSun, 24 Oct 2010 20:04:24 +0000agency reporter13401 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukIndia forms new tribal council in wake of Vedanta victory http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/13060
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<p>Following the Dongria Kondh's groundbreaking defence of their mountain homeland, the Indian Prime Minister has created a new committee for tribal rights.</p>
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<p>Following the Dongria Kondh tribe’s groundbreaking successful defence of their mountain homeland, the Indian Prime Minister has created a new committee for tribal rights, reports Survival International.</p>
<p>Led by the Prime Minister, the new ‘National Council for Tribal Welfare’ will review and guide India’s policies affecting the over 80 million tribal people living in the country. The council will bring together Ministers responsible for finance, mines, power generation, the environment, the elected heads of India’s tribal regions and others.</p>
<p>The Dongria Kondh’s victory two weeks ago in blocking a mine, planned by Vedanta Resources and the Orissa state government, sent shockwaves throughout India. The Environment Minister cited ‘a very serious violation of laws’ and a ‘blatant disregard for the rights of the tribal groups’ when rejecting the project.</p>
<p>India’s Home Minister, P Chidambaram told journalists that, "We will not allow these extractive industries if it means destroying the environment and the natural habitat of the tribal people".</p>
<p>Vedanta has also been given until 15th September to defend its refinery, built at the base of the Dongria’s hills to process bauxite from the banned mine. According to the Environment Ministry, Vedanta’s refinery has demonstrated "serious non-compliance" with environmental standards and has been illegally expanded. The Ministry has asked Vedanta why it should not be immediately shut down.</p>
<p>Last week thousands of angry men stormed Vedanta’s refinery, causing considerable damage and bringing operations to a halt, according to reports. The men had been working on the illegal refinery expansion, and were angry at being suddenly sacked when Vedanta was forced to slam the brakes on the work.</p>
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Living EconomyNews BriefDongria KondhindiaSurvival Internationaltribal peoplevedantaVedanta ResourcesWorld NewsThu, 09 Sep 2010 17:14:37 +0000agency reporter13060 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukIndian tribe in 'stunning' victory over mining gianthttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12925
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<p>India’s Environment Minister has blocked Vedanta Resources’ controversial plan to mine bauxite on the sacred hills of the Dongria Kondh tribe.</p>
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<p>A tribe in India has won a stunning victory over one of the world’s biggest mining companies. In an extraordinary move, India’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has blocked Vedanta Resources’ controversial plan to mine bauxite on the sacred hills of the Dongria Kondh tribe.</p>
<p>Mr Ramesh said Vedanta has shown a ’shocking’ and ‘blatant disregard for the rights of the tribal groups’. The Minister has also questioned the legality of the massive refinery Vedanta has already built below the hills.</p>
<p>The news is a crushing defeat for Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal , Vedanta’s majority owner and founder. </p>
<p>In recent years, the project has come under unprecedented attack. The Norwegian and British governments, the Church of England, organisations such as Survival, and even the insurance giant Aviva, have all criticised the company and its ethics. </p>
<p>Survival has been in the forefront of a global campaign against the mine for several years. Survival recruited celebrities such as Michael Palin and Joanna Lumley to champion the tribe’s cause; its supporters have written over 10,000 protest letters to the Indian government, and more than 600,000 people have watched Survival’s film ‘Mine’. The tribe’s plight even came to the attention of ‘Avatar’ director James Cameron, and the Dongria became known as the ‘real Avatar tribe’.</p>
<p>The struggle has pitted the 8,000-strong tribe, nearly all of them illiterate, against the might of an $8 billion company and its founder, himself worth some $6 billion. The Dongria Kondh have mounted numerous protests, and two of their leaders were abducted and beaten before being released, in an atmosphere of increasing violence.</p>
<p>In recent days, an inquiry panel set up by Minister Ramesh recommended the mine be blocked, saying that Vedanta had acted illegally and with ‘total contempt for the law’.</p>
<p>Survival campaigner Dr Jo Woodman, who experienced first-hand the atmosphere of intimidation in the Dongria’s hills, said today, ‘This is a victory nobody would have believed possible. The Dongria’s campaign became a litmus test of whether a small, marginalised tribe could stand up to a massive multinational company with an army of lobbyists and PR firms and the ear of government. Incredibly, the Dongria’s courage and tenacity, allied with the support of many people in India, and Survival’s supporters around the world, have triumphed.’</p>
<p>Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘The era when mining companies could get away with destroying those in their path with impunity is thankfully drawing to a close, though it remains significant that Vedanta fought for its plans to the end, repeatedly denying everything the tribespeople said. The concerned public must remain vigilant about these so-called development projects – companies simply cannot be trusted voluntarily to abide by human rights standards, particularly when dealing with tribal peoples who can’t know what they’re up against.’</p>
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Living EconomyNews BriefDongria KondhindiaSurvival Internationaltribal peoplevedantaVedanta ResourcesWorld NewsTue, 24 Aug 2010 09:03:57 +0000staff writers12925 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukVedanta’s India mine slammed in devastating government reporthttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12869
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<p>A devastating report from the Indian government says Vendanta has acted 'with total contempt for the law' in planning to mine on Dongria Kondh tribal land.</p>
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<p>Plans by Vedanta Resources to mine on Dongria Kondh land in eastern India "threaten the survival" of the tribe, according to an official government investigation whose report has just been released.</p>
<p>In a devastating report, a committee set up by India’s Environment Minister has ruled that Vedanta has acted illegally and with "total contempt for the law"; that local officials have "colluded" in the company’s illegal activity and falsified documents; that "it is established beyond any doubt that the [mining] area is the cultural, religious and economic habitat of the Dongria Kondh"; and that to allow Vedanta’s mine would be "illegal".</p>
<p>India’s Minister of Environment and Forests has already said he will use the report to decide whether to give Vedanta permission to begin mining.</p>
<p>Vedanta’s scheme to mine the land of the Dongria Kondh tribe has become one of the most notorious projects in the world, with investors including Aviva and the Church of England attacking the company. Celebrities including Bianca Jagger, Joanna Lumley and Michael Palin have given their support to the Dongria tribe, who have been peacefully resisting the mine for years.</p>
<p>A previous investigation for the Environment Ministry found that Vedanta’s mine "may lead to the destruction" of the Dongria Kondh as a tribe. The report concluded that mining should not be allowed.</p>
<p>Stephen Corry, Director of Survival International said today, "This report is utterly scathing about Vedanta’s behaviour and confirms what Survival and others have been saying for years. The investigators have discovered that both Vedanta and the local authorities have already broken the law. The findings are unequivocal – mining will destroy the Dongria Kondh and should not be allowed. Let’s hope this is the final nail in the coffin for Vedanta’s plans."</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
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Living EconomyPeople and PowerNews BriefDongria KondhindiaSurvival InternationalvedantaVedanta ResourcesWorld NewsTue, 17 Aug 2010 10:41:48 +0000staff writers12869 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukAbducted anti-Vedanta campaigners released after beatinghttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12848
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<p>The two Dongria Kondh activists abducted earlier this week have been released. They have been campaigning against the development of a mine by Vedanta Resources.</p>
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<p>The two Dongria Kondh activists abducted earlier this week have been released. They were kidnapped on Monday (9 August) in the Indian state of Odisha, where they have been campaigning against the development of a mine by Vedanta Resources. </p>
<p>Sena Sikaka was dumped at the side of the road on Tuesday evening, while Lodu Sikaka was released on Thursday. </p>
<p>Lodu and Sena both claim their armed abductors were plain-clothed policemen. Lodu says he was interrogated and beaten during his detention, and only released after he was made to sign a written statement. It is not clear what the statement says.</p>
<p>The two men have both been campaigning against the creation of a bauxite mine on their land in the Niyamgiri Hills. The proposed mine, a joint project between Vedanta Resources and the Odisha state government, has become one of the most controversial projects in India. </p>
<p>Investors including the Church of England and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust have recently sold their shares in Vedanta over human rights concerns. Both cited the Odisha mine. The British government declared that the Dongria’s rights have been violated.</p>
<p>An interview with Lodu Sikaka was broadcast on the UK’s <em>Channel 4 News</em> following Vedanta's recent AGM, where the company’s human rights record came under fire from high-profile investors including Aviva. </p>
<p>A team of experts commissioned by the Indian government earlier this year concluded that Vedanta’s mine was likely to “lead to the destruction of the Dongria Kondh” as a people. The results of a second official investigation into the mine will be published later this month. The head of the investigative team has told journalists to expect his report to be “another bomb”.</p>
<p>The Dongria Kondh’s plight has been dubbed “the Real Avatar” because of similarities to the storyline of James Cameron’s blockbuster. The tribe’s struggle has been supported by a number of celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Bianca Jagger, and Michael Palin.</p>
<p>Survival International’s director Stephen Corry said today (13 August), “While I welcome the news that Sena and Lodu have now been released, it does not undo the injustice they have suffered and the ongoing injustices being committed against the Dongria Kondh people”. </p>
<p>[Ekk/1]</p>
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EqualityLiving EconomyPeace and NonviolenceNews BriefDongria KondhindiaOdishaSurvival InternationalvedantaWorld NewsFri, 13 Aug 2010 17:32:14 +0000staff writers12848 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukIndia must investigate abduction of anti-Vedanta activistshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12838
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<p>Amnesty International calls on the Indian authorities to investigate the abduction of indigenous leaders campaigning against a bauxite mine project in Orissa.</p>
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<p>Amnesty International is calling on the Indian authorities urgently to investigate the armed abduction of two indigenous leaders, who were on their way to campaign against the bauxite mine project proposed by a subsidiary of UK-based company Vedanta Resources, and the Orissa Mining Corporation. </p>
<p>The pair were abducted on 9 August in Orissa province, in the east of India. One of the activists, Sana Sikaka, was ‘released’ late last night by being thrown out of a van, and has alleged that the gunmen were police. Lado Sikaka, the most senior leader of the Dongria Kondh indigenous community, is still being held by the gunmen. </p>
<p>Orissa provincial police have remained silent on who was responsible for the abduction, and have not opened any investigation despite requests by activists. </p>
<p>Madhu Malhotra, Amnesty International’s Deputy-Director for the Asia-Pacific, said: “This allegation of arbitrary detention and abduction of activists must be immediately and transparently investigated.</p>
<p>“The Orissa police must show its good faith by securing the release of Lado Sikaka, immediately tracking down and arresting these gunmen." </p>
<p>Sana Sikaka told local media today that he and a group of activists were stopped by 15 armed plainclothes officers at the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain, as they were leaving in a van to travel to Delhi, where they planned to campaign against the bauxite mine project. The gunmen confiscated the mobile phones of activists and their vehicle. They then detained Lado and Sana Sikaka, driving them towards the neighbouring district of Rayagada where Sana suspects Lado is being held. </p>
<p>The Dongria Kondh indigenous community is known for their activism to protect their sacred mountain Niyamgiri from the proposed bauxite-mine . </p>
<p>Amnesty International urges the Indian authorities to establish a process to seek the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of the Dongria Kondh before proceeding with the proposed mine project in Niyamgiri. This must include: </p>
<p>-providing the Dongria Kondh with accessible and adequate information about the project; </p>
<p>-undertaking, in genuine and open consultation with the Dongria Kondh, a comprehensive human rights and environmental impact assessment of the project. There should be appropriate procedural safeguards to ensure their participation in the assessment process and that their knowledge and perspectives of the Hills are given due weight and respect; </p>
<p>-respecting the decision of the Dongria Kondh if they do not provide consent to the project.</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
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Living EconomyNews BriefAmnesty InternationalEnvironmentindigenous peoplevedantaVedanta ResourcesWorld NewsThu, 12 Aug 2010 20:07:20 +0000staff writers12838 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukAnti-Vedanta tribal leaders abductedhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12819
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<p>Two leaders of the peaceful struggle of the Dongria Kondh people against Vendanta Resources' plans for a bauxite mine on their tribal lands have been abducted.</p>
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<p>Two leaders of an Indian tribe’s resistance to a controversial mine have been abducted and are now missing, according to local reports.</p>
<p>Lodu (Lado) Sikaka and Sena Sikaka, two Dongria Kondh men from Odisha, eastern India, have been leading their tribe’s peaceful struggle against a massive bauxite mine planned for their land by the British company, Vedanta Resources.</p>
<p>Reports from the area indicate the two men were ambushed at the base of the hill range where they live, bundled into a vehicle at gunpoint and driven away. No one has heard from the men since, but sources say they are not being held at local police stations.</p>
<p>An interview with Lodu Sikaka, in which he spoke out against the mine, was aired on the UK’s Channel 4 News last week.</p>
<p>Locals report that paramilitaries combed the men’s village last month and that Sena Sikaka was beaten up. In the same month, the body of another leader from a different village was found dead in mysterious circumstances the day after he met with a team of experts sent by the government to investigate Vedanta.</p>
<p>The root of the problem is a mine planned on Niyam Dongar hill in the Dongria Kondh’s land. The mine is a joint project between FTSE 100 company Vedanta Resources and the Indian state of Odisha.</p>
<p>In December Lodu told Survival International, ‘We have always depended on our Niyam Dongar. It is our tradition. And it is our future. We say to Vedanta: if the whole universe came to try to convince us about Vedanta we still would not allow this mine.’</p>
<p>The mine has been broadly condemned. One Indian government team declared the mine was likely to "lead to the destruction of the Dongria Kondh" as a people. Several investors including the Church of England sold their shares in Vedanta over the project, and the British government declared that the Dongria’s rights have been violated.</p>
<p>Stephen Corry, Survival’s director, said, "Where is Lodu Sikaka? It is abhorrent that in the world’s largest democracy, a man who speaks out in defence of his land and his community should be ‘disappeared’ in this way".</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
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Living EconomyNews Briefindiatribal peoplevedantaVedanta ResourcesWorld NewsTue, 10 Aug 2010 14:47:06 +0000staff writers12819 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukVedanta faces third setback in a month over human rightshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12641
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<p>The controversial transnational corporation Vedanta Resources has suffered its third major blow in a month due to human rights concerns. The Indian state of Odisha has ordered a new investigation into the rights of the Dongria Kondh tribe affected by the company's bauxite mine.</p>
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<p>The controversial transnational corporation Vedanta Resources has suffered its third major blow in a month due to human rights concerns. The Chief Secretary of the Indian state of Odisha (formerly Orissa) has ordered a new investigation into the rights of the Dongria Kondh tribe affected by the company's bauxite mine.</p>
<p>The announcement comes just two weeks after the Indian Minister of Environment and Forests ordered an investigation on the same topic, and ten days after the leading Dutch investment firm PGGM sold its stake in Vedanta over human rights concerns.</p>
<p>A government investigation in March concluded that Vedanta’s mine "may lead to the destruction of the Dongria Kondh [as a people]".</p>
<p>Under Indian law, the Dongria Kondh can claim communal rights over the forest land they have historically used or protected.</p>
<p>Vedanta has been attempting to mine the top of the Dongria’s sacred mountain for several years, but has not received the final clearance it needs to begin.</p>
<p>Last year, the Environment Minister said Vedanta’s mine would not receive clearance until the Dongria’s forest rights had been settled.</p>
<p>But Survival International report that when they visited the Dongria in December, it was clear that many of them were not even aware of their right to claim communal land.</p>
<p>Vedanta Resources is majority-owned by billionaire Anil Agarwal, who will have to address shareholders’ concerns about these delays at the company’s AGM in London on the 28 July.</p>
<p>Survival’s director Stephen Corry said, “How many more investigations will it take for everyone to finally accept that Vedanta’s mine would threaten the future of the Dongria Kondh and cause India to breach its commitments under international law?”</p>
<p>[Ekk/1]</p>
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Living EconomyPeople and PowerNews BriefDongra Kondhindiaindigenous peopleOdishaSurvival InternationalvedantaWorld NewsThu, 15 Jul 2010 16:52:55 +0000staff writers12641 at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk